Current update on conditions for the Stampede:We got the WAK shak out on the lake early last week. We had 14" of ice right at the site. We also built 3 ramps already. We rode several days last week. I rode Sunday and it was a little blown off in the middle of the lake with bands of snow here and there. Closer towards shore their was good snow and some excellent natural ramps from some of the ice shoves. You can easily drive right out to the event site which is about a quarter mile out from shore. We also started construction of an ice bar for the event. Forecast is looking good for snow. We got a couple of inches of snow overnight Sunday-Monday. Currently it is snowing again with at least another inch on the ground already. Forecast calls for a few more inches overnight Wednesday-Thursday and then again on Sunday. Temps are looking to be fairly comfortable in the low to mid 30's this weekend. Now let's just hope the wind also shows up. We will be out on the lake every day this week building ramps and getting the event site ready. Hope you guys can make it out as the conditions are looking pretty good for the weekend.BTW, here is a link Dan posted on our forum to a video he took late last week. Check it out and you can see what the event site looked like mid-last week.http://www.wakkiteboarding.com/Forum/to ... PIC_ID=451

With the forecast that is coming both in terms of snow and wind I hope people don't miss out on the event this weekend. It will be well worth the drive as the Fond du lac crew really does step up and put on a great home grown event. The stampede is on the verge of being one of the biggest kiting events in the Midwest and this years conditions will only help.

The Sheboygan crew plans on arriving late morning on Saturday. I never snow kite so I might just drink, talk smart and harass people again this year making the event very family and kid friendly. Either way its a bunch of fun.

Kevin Gratton has just posted the race/ big air schedule for Sat at the Sturgeon Stampede, if your a racer/jumper, or if your just a cruiser, show up anytime.

11:30am Skippers meeting12:00 First race 3 races back to back

3:00 Big Air

5:00 awards

Dark Bonfire/Party/Minnow shots

I was kiting up there on Tues and conditions were very good 100 to 300 yards from shore, plenty of snow. There rest of the lake was 75% snow 25% ice but still good riding.Just talked to Possum Jumper up at WAK headquarters and he says already 4-5inches of new snow, with more coming. Should be great conditions.Anyone need info, call me. 8four7-three70-three584.

I concur with dbur's comment. Karl, Jens and I ( Madison Crew) had an awesome time. You guys put on a great event that is both fun and well organized. It takes a lot of time, energy and planning to pull off such an event. Thanks a ton to everyone who had a hand in the planning and execution. The fire at the end topped it off.

BTW, who won the shovel and harness? Just curious.

To Kevin Gratton, great course and thanks again for heading downwind at the end of the outreach leg of the crossing. hehe.

Number 24 is in the history books. This party started off as a mountain bike ice race for 15 yrs and has evolved into a kiting event....go figure.

Thanks to everyone, organizers and participants. Special thanks to Kevin Gratton at Windpower here in Fond du lac for his continued support for the Sturgeon Stampede. Also, special thanks to Bob Cook at Kiteriders in Madison for his generous swag donations to the cause. Bob and Kevin are both mega positive influences for the kiteboarding world we live in. As it turned out, Bob, no one won the shovel or harness. Over drinking and over minnow consumption led to an oversight and we never gave them away.We would be proud to carry these items over to next year, or if you want to hold them till then, let me know (phone # above), and I will get them back to you.

Sunday was a blow out. First indicator was the tent blew away and rolled into the plow truck and punched out a window. Way lucky that was all the damage.5-8 kiters pumped up there smallest kites and gave it a go, but no one lasted more than 1/2 hour. The wind was south east and coming right over the ledge which made the wind extremely gusty. The snow was sticky, which combined with the gusty conditions made it combat kiting.

I'd like to chime in here, too, and thank everyone who helped put this on. It's a very cool event to have here in Wisconsin! Sucked to only be a spectator this year (shoulder surgery), but at least I got to meet a few more riders from the area. Great to seem people coming from all over the midwest - Chicago, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Madison, Fox cities, Indiana.